


You Had to Have Him

by Psychopomp25



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But kind of softened, Child Abuse (Implied), Don't worry, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Patroclus' father is a dickhead as usual, Strangers to Friends to Lovers to Mates, it's not too hardcore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:34:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26369578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychopomp25/pseuds/Psychopomp25
Summary: "He had almost completed this plan successfully, but something too overpowering to ignore had distracted him from it: A scent. A view. A person. It was a boy, of around his same age, who stopped him dead in his tracks."Or.Achilles is an alpha, enjoying the last weeks of his gap year before he joins his friends at college, when he meets a captivating omega at a pool party. Falling in love with him so badly presents more challanges than one.
Relationships: Achilles/Patroclus (Song of Achilles)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 114





	You Had to Have Him

**Author's Note:**

> Here goes my first real contribution to this fandom! Hope you enjoy, and please don't hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments. You can find me on Tumblr under @psychopomp-25 <3
> 
> (Titled inspired by Various Storms and Saints by Florence and the Machine)

Summer rain had come and gone, quickly but efficiently pouring over the crowd of college students gathered around the backyards of Odysseus Laertides' family vacation home, where a pool party was taking place. To most, it had been happily welcomed as a relief from the unbearable heat of the Trojan sun; but some others had found it to be the perfect excuse to take a break from the sweaty, frenzied mass of bodies forming outside, retiring for a moment into the house to dry and enjoy themselves. 

Achilles Pelides did not exactly belong to the second group. He had only meant to go in, fetch a fresh bag of ice from the freezer, stuff it into a cooler and walk right out. In fact, he had almost completed this plan successfully, but something too overpowering to ignore had distracted him from it: A scent. A view. A person. It was a boy, of around his same age, who stopped him dead in his tracks. He had succeeded in walking the way from the back door to the kitchen, lay the cooler on the ground, even open the freezer lid, but then his heart had skipped a beat and his brain had clouded with the sensation of something, someone, and he'd had to stop what he was doing to discreetly turn around. 

There was a boy far away from him, in the living room, and Achilles could smell him from behind the kitchen counters. He immediately knew he was looking at the right person, because the sight of him had knocked the air out of his chest. He was slender, although not very tall, and his shoulders were broad and delicate. He had rich brown skin and messy short hair that framed his cheekbones just right, and he wasn't smiling or laughing, but he looked somehow amused enough not to contrast the setting. He was standing by a set of windows, accompanied by two other people, a girl and a boy, who were chatting to each other while he toweled himself dry. He was wearing a pair of long bathing shorts that nicely fit his thighs, and he was barefoot, printing the tiles of the floor with rainwater. 

Achilles' mouth went dry as he watched him, his instinct prickling with curiosity. He felt chemically gripped by his scent and visually fascinated with his looks, and yet he couldn't quite place the cause of this attraction. Yes, the boy was beautiful, but Achilles had seen beautiful before, and he looked as if something interesting was going on in his head, but he had seen smart before, too. There was, however, a captivating glimmer to his eyes, a peculiar rhythm to his movements, so controlled and charming, that it finally occurred to Achilles in his own abstract way that this boy was special, if not unique. He'd managed to captivate him in seconds, and his scent, warm and thick, had triggered a reaction in his _alpha_ as well. He felt the beginning of a not-so familiar tickle of possessiveness itch at his brains, his muscles tightening with need right below the skin of his chest. 

_“What the actual fuck is wrong with me?”,_ he thought to himself. The boy had fortunately not noticed him yet, but there were other groups of people around, and it wouldn't take long before someone caught him staring. He turned right around, resuming his task and putting in the effort to distract himself, to no avail. As he was done throwing ice bags into the cooler and closing the freezer lid, the boy and his friends approached the kitchen, sitting together on the stools. He could hear them moving and chatting behind him, but he didn’t turn around just yet. He withdrew his phone from his pocket and pretended to message someone, listening in.

“It makes no sense!” Exclaimed the girl in the group, who had sat at one extreme of the counter. “I thought you two were getting on fine, wasn’t he super flirty and nice to you the other day and everything? Did he at least give you an explanation before he ghosted you?”

“Briseis, I’m pretty sure ghosting means there is no explanation given,” Said the boy who had sat at the other extreme. “Besides, I don’t think there was necessarily a logical explanation, was there, Patroclus?” 

“Umm, no, I don’t think there was.” Said the boy in the middle. Achilles’ heart skipped a beat. His voice was just as attractive as the rest of him, low and almost raspy. “He just wasn’t that interested in me, I guess. But that’s fine by me, like I’ve told you. I was not willing to get super emotionally invested right now anyways.” 

That gave Achilles a pang of disappointment, but he wasn’t entirely discouraged. He had no trouble admitting he was selfish when it came to romantic affairs, and he preferred to hear the boy was unisterested in dating rather than happily taken. That, and he was deeply confused by the fact that anyone would decide to ghost this guy. His mind was full of _Am I the only one smelling him? Why is no one jumping to take him out right now? And is name is fucking Patroclus! Who has a name as poetic as that?_

“I don’t get it.” Said the boy who wasn’t Patroclus. “I thought he was super into you at Penelope’s party the other weekend. But whatever, man, I’m kinda glad you’re not talking to him anymore. He’s a dick if he’s willing to just dump you like that. Fucking alphas. There’s not one of them that doesn’t have worms for brains.” 

“Should I remind you that you’re an alpha yourself, Automedon?” Asked Patroclus, clearly entertained. 

“And?? I would NEVER treat an omega like trash, and I’m the first to admit my second gender is absolute bullshit, besides-”

“Excuse me, can we help you?” Interrupted the girl, Briseis. Achilles froze, desperately trying to seem like he wasn’t overhearing. The girl sighed. “Pelides, wasn’t it? Can we do something for you?” 

_Good job, Achilles. Now everyone knows you’re a freak. Well, luckily for you, you’re an actor, so act, goddamnit!_

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” He asked, feigning innocence and turning to the girl while doing his best to avoid Patroclus. 

“Well, yes, Achilles.” Said Briseis, stating the obvious. “You’ve been standing there the entire time.” 

His eyes inevitably crossed Patroclus’ face, who was watching him full of curiosity. 

_Oh my fucking God, he has frekles! Fuck my whole life._

“Oh, I’m really sorry, I’m sure it looked really weird. I was just trying to understand what the hell the guys wanted me to bring outside from the fridge” He explained, and as if to nail down his argument, he casually went back to the freezer, taking out two packs of beer. 

“Huh. I see.” Said Briseis, not entirely bought over. 

“Wait a second!” Exclaimed Achilles, in his best version of a friendly tone “How do you know my name?” 

The girl stared back at him with a shocked, almost offended expression. 

“We know each other. From High School. We were lab partners junior year, I’m pretty sure. I-I played one of the fairies when you played King Oberon, don’t you remember?”

Patroclus and Automedon snorted. Realization dawned over him, then. 

_Fuck._

“Oh my gosh, Briseis! I remember now, you were in MUN as well, weren’t you? I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. How have you been?”

Briseis was looking at him skeptically, if not surprised.

_She 's right. You’re never this nice around people._

“I’m alright, trying to chill as much as I can before the year starts. And you? Have you enjoyed your gap year?”

He hadn’t. Not really.

“I have, thank you! Traveled up north for a bit, but recently I’ve just been doing my own thing around here. It’s been real nice so far, to take some time for myself, y’know?” He directed his glance to the guys, looking forward to introduce himself to the other boys. “And this is…?”

“Oh, right!” Hurried Briseis, apologetically. “Sorry, that 's Automedon, he plays the bass in my brother’s band.”

“Hey, there!” Said Automedon, holding out his hand for Achilles to shake while wearing a friendly, sympathetic smile. 

“And this is Patroclus, my best friend since diapers. His dad is our family accountant.” 

“Hi, ?” Offered Patroclus, ever so softly, holding out his hand as well. Achilles shook it a lot more delicately than necessary, maintaining eye contact and putting on the kindest smile he could muster. 

Although Patroclus regarded him intently, he looked far from swooning, and he quickly retracted his hand back into the countertop.

_Oh my fucking god, this man is going to be the death of me._

He wanted to stay with them as long as politely possible, put out his best predisposition and get to know this man that was doing crazy things to both his hormones and his heart. Patroclus’ skin was soft, and his smell was enchanting, and his presence made Achilles want to jump over the bar and hold him against his chest until the world disappeared, chase the waves of calmness he was receiving from him. He was about to play it cool and invite them a beer, look for reasons to extend the conversation, when

“PELIDES!! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO WITH THE STUPID BAG OF ICE, SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS???” Yelled Diomedes Tydeudes from the living room. 

“Fuck.” Sighed Achilles. “Damn, I guess I should go now, see you guys around?” 

The group offered him a combination of polite nods and friendly expressions, and then he was on his way without looking back, carrying the cooler and packs of beer against his shoulders. Despite their weight on his back, he felt lighter than ever, sucking in his cheeks to repress an enamoured grin. 

_Honestly, what the hell is up with me today_ , he wondered as he followed Diomedes outside.

His dreamy aura was slightly blown apart when he ran into Hector Priamides, who was stepping inside while as they were walking out. 

They exchanged a frowned look, but neither went further than that, both carrying on their own way. Hector had looked like a man on a mission, defiantly walking past crowds of people into the house, and Achilles had long refused to let their bad blood prevent him from enjoying social events where they happened to coincide, which were most in the area. 

Beside him, Diomedes made a funny scoff, distracting him from his thoughts. 

“What, now?” Asked Achilles, not willing to put up with his friend’s childishness. 

“You know that dude who was sitting with Brianna Whoever? The omega?” 

Achilles’ blood went icy in anticipation. 

“Patroclus? What about him?” 

“Yeah, that one.” Said Diomedes, dismissively. “Hector’s been tryna bang him for the last couple weeks, Oddyseus told me,” 

_what._

_NO._

_NO, NO, NO, NO_

_FUCK NO._

“What the actual fuck are you talking about? Wasn’t Hector dating that chick from OSU?”

Diomedes looked at him like he was stupid. 

“Duh. Where do you think he met the guy?” 

Achilles was stupified. Of course Hector fucking Priamides was involved with the only omega that had ever fully made him feel like an alpha, and of course he had ghosted him as well. And of course he was probably trying to get him back right that second. That was just his luck. 

“What, are you fucking jelous of that kid or something? You look like I just kicked you in the nuts.” Said Diomedes. Achilles decided he couldn't care less what his impression was. 

He threw the cooler and the six packs at him, making a u-turn back inside, just in time to see Patroclus and Hector leave the house together and walk through the wooden gate that connected the front and back yards. 

Achilles’ heart jumped to his throat.

_This is gonna be a long night, isn’t it?_


End file.
